


Flames

by BloodRedRidingHood



Series: I'll Be Your Shield [6]
Category: Captain America: The First Avenger - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: 30 day challenge, Chinese Takeout, F/M, Fireplaces, Fluff, OTP I'll Be Your Shield, Seriously Just Some Pretty Romantic Stuff, Watching the snow fall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-21 02:43:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRedRidingHood/pseuds/BloodRedRidingHood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She nestled into his shoulder, pulled his arm across her body, and sighed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the delay! I had to completely re-write it, as my document crashed before I could save it. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and be sure to check out parts 1-5!
> 
> Day 6 of hawkwardeye's 30 Day Drabble Challenge.

The last two weeks had been hell. Confined to a bed for most of the day except to get up and hobble around the medical wing or to go to the bathroom was not good for Natasha. She was more than happy to get the hell out of there.

Clint had driven her home. He about threw a fit because she insisted on walking up six flights of stairs instead of letting him carry her, but one look had shut him up. Even with one arm and one leg out of commission, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

She was glad her apartment was so small. The wall dividing the bedroom and living room had been torn down by the previous owner, leaving a series of three columns far enough from the wall that she could squeeze a queen size bed and a nightstand between them. On the opposite corner from the bed was the small kitchen, packed with enough food to last for a month, thanks to Clint. The counters were small, the stove unreliable, and the fridge was a relic from the fifties. There was a small bathroom opposite her bed and a closet near the front door. Natasha loved her apartment. Her favorite part, of course, was the decently-sized fireplace set between two windows. She had a large shelf packed full with books written in several different languages, and a trunk full of handmade blankets. A large, extremely comfortable couch was situated in front of the fireplace and the windows, and this is where Natasha made her way to after she shooed Clint away.

She had fallen asleep on the couch, a book across her face, when there was a knock on the door. It had gotten dark while she slept, so she carefully made her way to the door, blindly reaching out for the wall. 

Steve looked expectantly back at her through the peephole, carrying bags of Chinese takeout and a cup holder full of hot chocolate. She noticed that the cups had the same logo as the ones from their time at the ice rink, and it made her smile. She opened the door and let him in.

"Heard you were home," Steve said, placing the food and drinks on the counter. He then made his way back to her, holding out an arm to support her as she shut the door and made her way back to the couch. "How are you feeling?"

She sighed as she sat down. "Sore. Tired. I'm ready to get back out there." She squinted when Steve turned on the lights. "You didn't have to bring food."

Steve brought over the now-open containers and sat them down on the floor in front of the couch. "I didn't want you to over-exert yourself trying to make your own. Clint told me what you like." He handed her a pair of chopsticks and a container of Moo Goo Gai Pan. He then turned to the fireplace. "Does this work?"

She nodded, mouth full of chicken and mushrooms, and pointed to the switch on the wall. Steve flicked it, and the familiar sound of the fireplace filled her ears. She smiled and settled deeper into the couch. Steve turned off the kitchen light and joined her.

When they had eaten their fill, Steve picked up all the containers and carried them to the kitchen. While he was trashing the empties and putting the rest in the fridge, Natasha nimbly hopped across the room on her good leg and bent down in front of one of the columns. Flicking a switch, she turned on the fairy lights that were wrapped around them. The filled the room with a soft glow, dim enough that they didn't outdo the light from the fireplace. She then hopped back to the trunk and pulled out a large knit blanket and sat back on the couch.

"Those are nice," Steve said. He had reheated the hot chocolate and poured it into mugs for them. He handed Natasha hers and then sat down next to her, getting under the heavy blanket and pulling her into him as he wrapped his arm around her. 

Natasha took a deep breath, filling her nose with the scent of Chinese food, hot chocolate, and Old Spice. She could get used to this, although she wasn't exactly sure what _this_ was.

They sat together, sipping their drinks and watching the snow fall outside of the windows. The flames from the fireplace danced across the fake logs in the hearth, and the flickering light was comforting. 

After about an hour, he turned to her. She could tell he was nervous, so she just nodded to him, giving him permission to do whatever it was that he wanted to do. Steve was gentle with her as he brought her legs up, at the same time maneuvering himself so that they were both laying down on the couch. Natasha winced slightly, the movements jostling her shoulder, but the pain was gone in moments.

Once again, Steve took her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth, kissing each finger individually. She nestled into his shoulder, pulled his arm across her body, and sighed.

The last thing she was aware of before sleep overtook her were Steve's kisses on her hair and the light from the flames dancing across her eyelids.


End file.
